


The Doctor Is Not In

by ivanolix



Category: Stargate Universe
Genre: Canon - TV, Character Study, Female Friendship, Gen, POV Female Character, Season/Series 01, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-27
Updated: 2010-06-27
Packaged: 2017-10-20 18:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/215584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivanolix/pseuds/ivanolix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt "can't be everything to everyone anymore"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Doctor Is Not In

She thought about putting a sign on the door that day, "The Doctor Is Not In", but knew it would only cause questions. Everything caused questions these days, as if the less there was to know, the more people needed to know it. And besides, no one would ask the right question: what doctor?

"I can't believe I hit my head on a doorframe," Lt. James sighed, as TJ swabbed the bit of already-dried blood from her cool skin. There were dark moons under her eyes, and TJ would normally have asked 'Have you been sleeping well?' even though she knew the answer. But that would have started up a conversation. And the doctor is not in today.

"Neither can I," TJ murmured as she put a little bandaid in place. "Well, unless you have concussion symptoms, you should be fine." And with that, James was gone and away.

-

"TJ," Chloe said as she came in, fingers twisting around themselves. "There's no way I can be pregnant, but my period hasn't come in six weeks."

TJ looked at her for a second as the baby kicked in her belly, wavering.

"Oh god, don't tell me an alien got me pregnant," Chloe asked with wide eyes, hands rushing to her flat stomach.

"No, no," TJ said quietly, reassuringly. "A lot of things can do that, stress being one of them. I'm not saying it's a good thing...but if that's it, you should be fine." Normally TJ would have asked her what was up, hoping to free a bit of that stress by letting their friendship develop further. But the doctor is not in.

-

Sergeant Hobbes groaned as TJ changed the bandage on his left side, the stitched wound a little too red and inflamed for health.

"Don't tell me I'm going to die," he mumbled.

"Not at all," TJ assured as she spread some more antiseptic cream and grabbed for a clean bandage. Normally TJ would have explained to Hobbes in detail what was going on, to break the uncomfortable silence as well as the stereotype that no talking = bad news. But the doctor is not in.

-

No major tragedy happened that day, and TJ took a seat at the end of the day and propped her feet on an empty medical trolley. Glass of chilled water in hand, she placed one hand on her belly and with the other teased out her hair so that it no longer pulled on her scalp. She breathed out with a hint of a smile. Medics were necessary to patch up wounds; doctors, with their calming relationship-building talk, were luxuries. TJ could be a luxury some days, but it wasn't who she was, and she could still smile and feel the fluttering life within her without guilt. Some days, the doctor is just not in.


End file.
